A Georgia police officer has been placed on administrative leave after shooting and killing a one-year-old donkey named HeeHaw on Sunday. The incident occurred at the Elsberry Riding and Farm ranch in Rockmart, Georgia, around 12:45 a.m. as Officer Trenton Garner, a K-9 handler with the Cedartown Police Department, was searching for a missing 12-year-old girl.

According to an incident report, Garner and a bloodhound team followed footprints into a pasture containing horses. As officers approached, the horses became spooked and ran away. Garner's report states that a donkey, later identified as HeeHaw, then began to charge at the officers.

Another officer attempted to use a Taser on the donkey, but the device reportedly failed. Garner then drew his department-issued firearm and fired a single shot, striking HeeHaw. The donkey ran up a hill before collapsing. The missing girl was later found safe at a nearby church.

Hannah Israel, HeeHaw's owner, has disputed the officer's account, stating that the donkey was never aggressive and would not have charged at anyone. She described HeeHaw as a beloved pet she raised from a young age. "He was raised in the house and did petting zoos he never knew a stranger," Israel wrote online, vowing to take legal action. "He was shot and killed in his OWN pasture for doing what donkeys do. Alerting to a stranger."

Israel shared videos and photos of HeeHaw, emphasizing his gentle nature and her deep bond with the animal, whom she referred to as her "son." One video, filmed just three days before the shooting, shows HeeHaw affectionately greeting Israel.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture Law Enforcement is conducting an independent investigation into the shooting, according to Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsome. Garner, who joined the police department in July 2023, has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation's outcome.

Israel expressed her distress and shock over the incident, noting that HeeHaw had recently celebrated his first birthday and had a potential lifespan of 35 to 40 years. "The whole circumstances literally say that HeeHaw shouldn’t have died," she told Gray News. "I thought I would raise my future kids with HeeHaw, but instead he’s gone. So, it’s very devastating."